Conveying and treating system for loose materials



Jan; 2'1, 1958 s. BoGATY v 2,320,307

CONVEYING AND TREATING SYSTEM FOR LoosE MATERIALS Filed Nov. '12, 1954United States Patent O CONVEYING AND TREATING SYSTEM FOR LOOSE MATERIALSStanislaus Bogaty, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Proctor and Schwartz,luc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationNovember 12, 1954, Serial No. 468,390

10 Claims. (Cl. 34-223) This invention relates to the art of conveyingand treating loose materials. lt is concerned especially with problemsencountered when fibrous materials, such as tobacco, are subjected totreatment with gases or vapors while being conveyed through the treatingapparatus in a continuous process.

In the drying or ordering of tobacco, for example, this treatment hasbeen accomplished by conveying the tobacco continuously on a foraminousconveyor comprising successive hinged sections while passing thetreating fluid, such as air or steam, through the bed of tobacco on theconveyor. In such treatments, metal side guards may be provided at theedges of the conveyor sections to provide conining side walls for thematerial under treatment, and the conveying systems may embody alignedruns of vertically spaced conveyors in which both conveyors are equippedwith such side guards and in which these guards extend vertically towardeach other in the confining and material treating runs.

An object of this invention has been to improve upon systems of thiskind by greater cleanliness, reduction of material losses andenhancement of the general performance by better control of the flow ofthe treating fluids.

K A more specific object has been to avoid or minimize escape oftreating fluids and material under treatment from the space between thealigned confining runs.

A` further object has been to provide a seal which is effective toprevent undesired loss of material or passage of gases or vapors throughthe spaces between the adjacent edges of the side guards attached to theopposed aligned conveyor sections.

Still further objects and advantages, and the manner in which they havebeen attained, will be apparent from reading of the following detaileddescription in the light of the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of treating apparatus embodying theinvention, with parts shown in section;

Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

While the apparatus of the invention may be applied in treatment ofquite a variety of materials, it will be convenient if we discuss it inreference to the continuous .application of treating fluids, in the formof gases or vapors, to tobacco. For example, strip tobacco may be fed ata uniform rate from hopper by an automatic feed mechanism including acontinuously advancing spike apron 11, and received by a perviousendless conveyor 12. In treatment of tobacco, this is preferably a wirescreen but it may be any kind of surface best adapted tothe processingof the particular material, such as the perforated plate conveyorillustrated in the drawing. The

tobacco or other material is passed on this conveyor 'through a chamberor housing i3 while being subjected lcontinuously to the dryingtreatment with air admitted through the housing and discharged throughconduit 14 ICC after it has performed its drying function. Asillustrated by the arrows in Figure 2, the air is circulated by blowers15 repeatedly through the bed or tobacco lying on conveyor 12, thiscirculation being directed by a system of plates and baffles downwardlythrough heater 16 and then upwardly through the bed of tobacco on theupper run of conveyor 12, through an overlying and confining foraminousconveyor 17 and through a heater 18 before being recirculated.

In a system of this kind, it is desirable that the material undertreatment be conlined to minimize loss of tobacco from conveyor 12, andthe aligned overlying conveyor 17 is therefore provided, with its lowerrun serving to form the travelling upper surface of a continuouslymoving treating chamber whose under surface is the upper run of conveyor12. The upper and lower conveyors are driven through suitable Variablespeed mechanism by belts or chains 19 and 20 which drive sprockets whichin turn receive the carrying chains 21 for the conveyors 12 and 17.These carrying chains may comprise successive sections each consistingof an inner link 22 and an outer link 23, pivotally connected togetherby pintles 24 which carry rollers 25 designed to travel around thesprockets and to support the chains in their longitudinal runs bybearing upon horizontal supporting anges or tracks 26, 27, 28 and 29. Byreference to Figure 2 it will be seen the conveying runs of conveyors 12and 17 are carried by chain links supported upon the intermediate tracks27 and 2S, while the return runs are supported respectively by thelowermost track 26 below the plate or baffle 30, and by the uppermosttrack 29.

The conveyors 12 and 17 may be of the well known type embodyingsuccessive hinged screen or plate Sections 31 secured to the individuallinks of the chains 2i, and each individual section carries a side guard32 extending vertically toward the correspondingly opposed guard of thecoacting confining conveyor, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. Eachside guard is laterally offset at one end to clear the adjacent end ofthe side guard of the next hinged section and provide a continuous sideguard structure in which the offset end of each guard overlaps and rubsagainst the adjacent end of the corresponding guard of the nextforaminous conveyor section.

Conveying and treating systems as discussed above are Well known in theart, and they are subject to serious limitations, particularly withrespect to cleanliness, material losses and control of fluid ilow. Theseresult directly from the fact that there is a free space betweenadjacent ends of opposed guards 32, through which gases or material mayescape. In order to minimize these drawbacks, the apparatus is often runat a lower capacity than could be achieved if they could be eliminated.

In practice of this invention, the free space between opposed sideguards is sealed by longitudinally extending strip 33 mounted inposition to rub against the adjacent spaced edges of opposed side guardson each side of the material confining and treating runs of conveyors 12and 17, and thus convert the space between these runs into a sealedtreating chamber extending throughout the length of the chamber orhousing 13 wherein the treatment takes place. These sealing strips maybe made of any material capable of closing off the space between theside guards sufficiently to prevent or minimize loss of tobacco, butthey should preferably have sufficient ilexibility and resilience tomaintain a fair rubbing contact against the opposed side guards. Theymay, for example, be of woven or molded brake lining material, micartaor felt.

The sealing strips 33 are secured by brackets 34 to opposite sides ofthe interior of the housing 13, and there is thus provided aself-contained sealing unit which prevents escape of treating fluids orsolids except as established by the system of conveyors, bafiies andcon-V duits.

As illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, the driving of the conveyorsections, and also the securement of the side guards 32 in relation tothose sections, may be established through Z-shaped lugs 35, havingtheir terminal arms secured by rivetting respectively to links 22 andside guards 32, and their central portions -to the conveyor sections 31.

While the invention has been described in reference to a singleillustrative embodiment, persons skilled in the art will recognize thatit may be modified and refined in various ways. l therefore wish it tobe understood that it is not to be limited in interpreation except bythe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for conveying loose material between opposed conveyorsections, the combination cornprising a pair of conveyors having alignedvertically spaced runs between which material is adapted to be coufinedand conveyed, side guard plates secured to said conveyors and extendingvertically toward each other with a narrow vertical space between theiradjacent edges in said aligned runs, a tiexible and resilient sealingstrip, and means for mounting said strip for rubbing contact with saidadjacent edges of the side guard plates of both of said conveyors alongthe longitudinal extent of said runs, whereby to provide a confining andsealed travelling 'chamber between `said aligned conveyor runs.

2. ln an apparatus for conveying loose material between opposed conveyorsections, the combination comprising a pair of forarninous conveyorshaving aligned vertically spaced runs between which material is adaptedto be confined and conveyed, side guard plates secured to said conveyorsand extending vertically toward each other with a narrow vertical spacebetween their adjacent edges in said aligned runs, a flexible andresilient sealing strip, and means for mounting said strip for rubbingcontact `with said adjacent edges of the side guard plates of both ofsaid conveyors along the longitudinal extent of said runs, whereby toprovide a confining and sealed travelling chamber between said alignedconveyor runs.

3. in an apparatus for subjecting loose material to fluid treatmentwhile being advanced between opposed conveyor sections, the combinationcomprising a housing within which said tiuid treatment takes place, apair of conveyors having aligned vertically spaced runs within saidhousing between which material is adapted to be confined, conveyed andtreated, means for passing a fluid treating agent through said materialbetween said spaced runs while so confined, side guard plates secured to`said conveyors and extending vertical-ly toward each other with anarrow vertical space between their adjacent edges in said aligned runs,a flexible and resilient sealing strip, and means within said housingfor mounting said strip for rubbing contact with said adjacent edges ofthe side guard plates of both of said conveyors along the longi-Itudinal extent of said runs, whereby to provide a conning and sealedtravelling chamber between said aligned conveyor runs.

4. in an apparatus for subjecting loose material to fluid treatmentwhile being advanced between opposed conveyor sections, t e combinationcomprising a housing within which said fluid treatment takes piace, apair of 1' endless conveyors having aligned vertically spaced runswithin said housing between which material is adapted to be confined,conveyed and treated, means for passing a fiuid treating agent throughsaid material between said spaced runs while so confined, side guardplates secured to said conveyors and extending vertically toward eachotherwith a narrow vertical space between their adja cent edges in saidaligned runs, a fiexible and resilient sealing strip, and means withinsaid housing for mounting said strip for rubbing contact with saidadjacent edges of the side guard plates of both of said conveyors alongthe longitudinal extent of said runs, whereby to provide a confining andsealed travelling chamber between said aligned conveyor runs.

5. In an apparatus for conveying loose material between Opposed conveyorsections, the combination comprising a pair of conveyors in the form ofhinged foraminous sections having aligned vertically spaced runs betweenwhich material is adapted to be confined and conveyed, side guard platessecured to said conveyor sections and extending vertically toward eachother with a narrow vertical 'space between their adjacent edges in saidaligned runs, a fiexible and resilient sealing strip, and means formounting said strip for rubbing contact with said adjacent edges of theside guard plates of both of said conveyors along the longitudinalextent of said runs, whereby to provide a confining and sealedtravelling chamber between said aligned conveyor runs.

6. In an apparatus for conveying loose material between opposed conveyorsections, the combination comprising a pair of conveyors in the form ofhinged foraminous sections having aligned vertically spaced runs betweenwhich material is adapted to be confined and conveyed, longitudinallyoverlapping side guard plates secured to said conveyor sections andextending vertically toward each other with a narrowlvertical spacebetween their adjacent edges in said aligned runs, a flexible andresilient sealing strip, and means for mounting said strip for rubbingcontact with said adjacent edges of t e side guard plates of both ofsaid conveyors along the longitudinal extent of said runs, whereby toprovide a confining and sealed travelling chamber between said alignedconveyor runs.

7. In an apparatus for conveying loose material between opposed conveyorsections, the combination cornprising a pair of conveyors having alignedvertically spaced runs between which material is adapted to be confinedand conveyed, side guard plates secured to said conveyors and extendingvertically toward each other with a narrow vertical space between theiradjacent edges in said aligned runs, a sealing strip, and means formounting said strip in sealing relationship to said adjacent edges ofthe side guard plates of both of said conveyors along the longitudinalextent of said runs, whereby to provide a confining and sealedtravelling chamber between said aligned conveyor runs.

8. In an apparatus for conveying loose material between 4opposedconveyor sections, the combination comprising a pair of conveyors havingaligned vertically spaced runs between which material is adapted to beconfined and conveyed, side guard plates secured to said conveyors andextending vertically toward each other with a narrow Vertical spacebetween their adjacent edges in said aligned runs, a sealing strip ofbrake lining material, and means for mounting said strip in sealingrelationship to said adjacent edges of the side guard plates of both ofsaid conveyors along the longitudinal extent of said runs, whereby toprovide a confining and sealed travelling chamber between said alignedconveyor runs.

9. In an apparatus for subjecting loose material to fiuid treatmentwhile being advanced between opposed conveyor sections, the combinationcomprising a housing within which said fiuid treatment takes place, apair of endless conveyors having aligned vertically spaced runs withinsaid housing between which material is adapted to be confined, conveyedand treated, means for passing a liuid treating agent through saidmaterial between said spaced runs while so confined, side guard platessecured to said conveyors and extending vertically toward each otherwith a narrow vertical space between their adjacent edges in saidaligned runs, a sealing strip, and means within said housing formounting said strip in sealing relationship to said adjacent edges ofthe side guard plates of both of said conveyors along the longitudinalextent of said runs, whereby to provide a confining and sealedtravelling chamber between said aligned conveyor runs.

10. In an apparatus for advancing loose material in a continuous bulkstream while subjecting said material to iluid treatment, thecombination comprising a pair of conveyors in the form of hingedforaminous sections having aligned vertically spaced runs between whichmaterial is adapted to be conned and conveyed, longitudinallyoverlapping side guard plates secured to said conveyor sections andextending vertically toward each other with a narrow vertical spacebetween their adjacent edges in their said aligned runs, a stationary,longitudinally extending eXible and resilient sealing strip, and meansfor mounting said strip in rubbing relationship to adjacent outsideedges of the longitudinally overlapping series of side guard plates ofboth of said conveyors along the longitudinal extent of said runswhereby to provide a conning and sealed traveling chamber between saidaligned conveyor runs.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,067,115 Bogaty Jan. 5, 1937 2,304,692 Hurxthal Dec. 8, 1942 2,336,698Morrill Dec. 14, 1943 2,365,769 Marshall Dec. 26, 1944

